Smoking Pork

Our dog, Buddy, is awaiting the shoulder bone. He recognizes the smell of pulled pork and knows that there’s a tasty treat in it for him as well.

So, smoking is something that some people don’t consider to be Paleo. There are concerns about the risks of carcinogens that may be in the smoke that cooks the meat. However, I believe that in any Paleolithic cooking, there was probably a lot of smoke from the fuel used to cook foods (wood, coal, etc), so I’m okay with smoking. Besides, it tastes great, and it’s a great way to slow-cook meats.

As part of our food prep routine on Sundays, we smoke at least one type of meat to be used throughout the rest of the week. This week, it was pulled pork; one of our favorites. It’s very versatile. Primarily, Sherry uses it to make a breakfast casserole that I love that also has apples and bacon in it. We also eat it on its own or sometimes in a sweet potato. It also finds its way into other dishes as well. Having some pulled pork around really opens up quick-fix options for when we don’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen making dinner.

Other times, we smoke ribs, brisket, chicken, or salmon. The flavor of these foods is fantastic, and the smoking helps to preserve the meat naturally and without nitrites or other chemicals. Did I mention it tastes great?

There are many options available for smokers, but I got the 30″ Masterbuilt 30 smoker which is available just about anywhere including Amazon and Walmart. Wood for smoking is easy to find as well, and popular woods include apple, cherry, oak, mesquite, alder, and hickory. Each type of wood imparts a different flavor, and it’s fun to experiment with the different woods and the different meats to find a smoking pair you really like.

Give smoking a try. It’s a really easy way to add some delicious meat to your weekly meals without doing a lot of work. You just do a little prep for the meat (typically some sort of rub or marinade), put it into the smoker for a bunch of hours at an appropriate temperature, and then voila! Delicious meat!

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